Ep 684 (15 Jan 1991)
Synopsis has an unexpected visit]] Pippa and Michael set off in the gypsy van. It's a bit slow to start but it's soon on the road. Over at Fisher's house, Donald is fussing over Bobby. She has a 10am appointment at the hospital and wants to go on her own. To treat her, Don is going to try a new recipe - carbonnade de boeuf à la flamande. Or beef cooked in beer as he helpfully translates it for anyone not fluent in French :-) When doing her grocery shopping in Alf's store, Patricia enquires after Blake. Alf is happy at the difference she made to him and finds out that this is the sort of thing she has been trained to do. He thinks Bobby could do with having someone to talk to and that perhaps she could pop in to talk to her dad. Marilyn still wants to buy the Beach House. Over tea and scones, she lets Ernie Jacobs know that if she finds out who the new owners of the house are, she's willing to pay them $5,000 extra so she can buy the Beach House. Ernie nearly chokes on his scone and mutters about it being a matter of ethics. He offers to approach the owners on her behalf. It's debatable how well Donald's stab at "beef in beer" is going but it's ruined when Patricia calls around. He forgets to turn off the heat and that's the end of the sauce. Patricia has a plan B. Meanwhile, Pippa and Michael's road trip isn't going as smoothly as they'd have liked. The van has broken down and Michael has spent an hour trying to fix the engine. He's a bit tetchy, though still trying to convince Pippa that he knows what he's doing. To add insult to injury, he burns his hand. Slimy Ernie has come back to Marilyn with a way to buy the house. If she can come up with $10,000 extra, the house will be hers. The people who are currently buying the house want to remain anonymous but have a formed the Megalo Holding Company which Marilyn can deal with. All Ernie needs now is that cheque for $10,000. Adam is horrified but Marilyn won't listen to anything he has to say. Patricia fills Donald in about her background. Not just why she became a nun but how she has a background in youth work and counselling people. She feels that since she left the convent, she can get closer to people. Donald says he wishes she could get closer to Bobby. The beef stroganoff that Donald serves up to Patricia and Bobby is quite tasty. Dinner is going well until Donald happens to mention that Patricia is a qualified counsellor and that maybe Bobby might like to talk to her. Bobby smells a rat on the spot and says she doesn't appreciate being set up like this. Marilyn is celebrating her imminent house purchase when there's a knock on the door. There is a couple of retirement age at the door, looking for Marilyn. They introduce themselves as Jack and Helen Cody, the people who thought they were going to buy the house. That was until an hour ago when Ernie rang them with the news that the deal was off. It doesn't take long for them to realise they've all been had. The Megalo Holding Company is Ernie's company and has nothing to do with Jack and Helen. Michael has finally figured out what the problem with the van is. They will reach their destination eventually but it will involve a lot of stopping to refill the radiator. By now, neither of them want to see the van ever again. As they wash up after the meal, Bobby apologises to Patricia for her outburst. She was annoyed at Donald for trying to run her life. As she talks, Patricia gently moves the topic onto her pregnancy and how she felt about losing her baby. At the end, Bobby realises she has just been counselled. She's happier than she has been in a while though. The gypsy van has finally reached its destination at the Children's Home. Peter the proprietor takes a look at the van and says it's not what he'd expected. He has no use for it, leaving Pippa and Michael with no other option than to take it back home with them. Michael tells Pippa they're not going to make it home by dark and that the headlights don't work on it. Cast Main cast *Adam Cameron - Mat Stevenson *Marilyn Chambers - Emily Symons *Alf Stewart - Ray Meagher *Bobby Simpson - Nicolle Dickson *Donald Fisher - Norman Coburn *Michael Ross - Dennis Coard *Pippa Fletcher - Debra Lawrance Guest cast *Patricia Coleman - Pam Western *Ernie Jacobs - David Weatherley *Jack Cody - Colin Taylor *Helen Cody - Jan Adele *Proprietor - Scott Kelly Writer - Tom Galbraith Director - Michael Ailwood Series Producer - Andrew Howie Exec Producer - Des Monaghan Prev Ep Ep 683 (14 Jan 1991) Next Ep Ep 685 (16 Jan 1991) Category:1991 episodes.